Chasing the Cat
by anonabella
Summary: Feliciano asked Antonio to look for Lovino's cat.


CHASING THE CATChasing the cat

Feliciano asked Antonio to find Lovino's cat.

::

This is a parody.

(Antonio's POV)

As the blue summer sky bids me goodbye, I found myself wodering. About me, somehow still alive... And about you, somehow not anymore.

"Big brother Antonio, I'm really sorry to bother you but Lovi's cat had gone missing again... Fratello'd be... (gulp) he'd be angry..." came Feliciano's shaky voice on the receiver of Antonio's mobile phone. By the looks of it, Feliciano seemed to be on the verge of tears (if he wasn't crying already) and Antonio couldn't help but comfort him. After all, no one's there to comfort him now.

"Don't worry, Feli. I'll try to look for it on my way to school."

"Oh... Do you have practice today?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, I see. I'll tell Luddy then."

He heard a quite relieved sigh from the other line before he ended the call. It must be have been hard on Feliciano to be taking care of his and Lovino's cats. After all, unlike Vene (Feli's cat), Roma (Lovi's cat) always runs away from home. Antonio supposed that Feli can't help but worry for his brother's cat. Especially when it does not return for days. Just like now.

It must have been hard for Feliciano to be all alone now, too.

But cats are cats. They just run away too much, Antonio thought as he walks around to find the missing cat. If it wants to run away, let it run. Now that he thinks about it, he must have spotted the cat a little bit too often all over summer. He should have picked it up back then. But right now, he sees no hint of it.

If it wants to die, let it die.

He remembered Lovino. Just a bit. If he had been a different person back then, would Lovino and Roma still be here? Would they still be alive?

"Meow~"

"Roma?"

"Meow~"

Just as Antonio tries to approach the cat, it ran away.

If it wants to run, let it run.

Antonio chased after the cat. It run to a dark tunnel.

When he reached the end of the tunnel, Antonio was panting. Seems like he's not that fit at running anymore.

"Meow~"

He looked up to see Lovino holding his cat.

Eh?

"Hey bastard," Lovino greeted him as usual.

What?

What's happening? Why is Lovino here?

You died.

At the end of the summer holidays, Lovino died.

"What's with that look? Are you still dreaming?"

Dreaming...

This must be a dream.

"It's hot."

"Huh?"

"It's hot," Antonio repeated. His forehead and neck now feel so sticky with sweat. It must be from his run through the tunnel.

"Of course it is hot," Lovino said. "Why are you wearing the school uniform already, anyway?"

"Because it's the start of classes," Antonio answered slowly, and you wouldn't even make it to school, he added to himself.

"WHAT?! But I haven't done my homework yet!"

"Hyaowwww! Hisssss!"

With Lovino's uncalculated shriek, the cat that he was holding seemed to be shoked and decided to run away again.

"Hey! Come back!" Lovino and Antonio ran after it.

"Why did you let it go away?" Antonio asked a bit angrily as he pants. The cat was so quick! "After you finally caught it!"

"Because you shocked me! Saying it's the start of classes already, right in the middle of summer" Lovino pouted.

Middle of summer? But summer break has already ended! Right?

He stopped his tracks. Lovino crouched down to the cat who was hiding under a vehicle. Lovino let out a hand to the car.

"Come here, kitty!"

And you died at the end of the summer.

"Hissss!"

"Ouch!" Lovino yelped. He withdrew his hand and the cat has run away again. "That stupid thing fucking scratched me!"

"Are you alright?" Antonio came back to his senses and took Lovino's hand. He saw the blood on his arm. His wrist was clean and smooth, just like how it had always looked like. Before he decided to die.

"Fuck that thing! If it wants to run, let it run! If it wants to die, let it fucking die!" Lovino spat as his face turn red from apparent anger.

Antonio's tightened his grip on Lovino's hand.

"Don't die."

The Italian stopped swearing at once to gape at him.

"I won't die from a fucking scratch, you idiot."

"Just... Don't ...die," he repeated. Pleadingly. Lovino stared at him, clearly confused.

"I... I had a dream," Antonio continued. " In my dream, you died. So I thought about it deeply, and I realized, if I had done something back then, you wouldn't have died."

Antonio's mind wandered back to the start of the summer holidays, when the two of them were walking home through the tunnel.

"Don't you think it would be better if I just die?" Lovino had asked quietly.

"What do you mean?" was Antonio's quick reply.

Lovino gulped. "Everything just feel so empty to me. Like there'd be no difference at all if I simply disappeared."

"Don't think about things too much, Lovino~ you're just stressing yourself."

If he had taken Lovino seriously back then, would Lovino change his mind?

"I just thought that, even if you wanted to die and that you don't want anyone to ever stop you, I would. Because I don't want it to happen. I don't want you to die."

If the me back then told you these words, would you die? If the me back then held your hand like this, would you still run away from me?

"Idiot."

Lovino smacked him with his free hand. It didn't even hurt him one bit.

"I can't die! Since I haven't done my summer homework yet. I wasn't planning on doing it but I guess I should start doing it now."

"Meow~"

The cat ran back to the tunnel. They chased after it.

As the darkness engulf his vision, Antonio lost track of Lovino and Roma. Until he reached the light at the other end.

They were gone.

I guess it was too late after all.

::

Feli cried when he heard about Lovino's cat. Antonio wanted to comfort him, but he find himself feeling so empty to do so.

He was too late.

"Gave up already?"

That voice.

"Just when I finally caught it."

Lovino.

"Meow~"

"Roma!" Feliciano took the cat and nuzzled it's nose. The feline purred affectionately. "Roma's back! He came back!"

Antonio looked behind him. But Lovino wasn't there.

He really disappeared. Again.

He was too late after all.

"Oh. Big brother Antonio, I told Luddy about your practice but he said you don't have practice today. It's the middle of the summer after all."

What?

Suddenly, everything felt so hot and sticky as the sun's glare seem to intensify.

Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.

Antonio broke into a run.

Don't tell me...

Summer. It's not over yet.

His feet brought him back to the tunnel. Lovino was standing there. He stared at Antonio's approaching figure. Antonio stared back, panting. And then he placed his hand over Lovino's shoulder.

"Caught you."

Let's keep our loved ones close. So that they don't disappear on their own.

Even when summer ends.

Fin.

::

A/N: Text format? What's that? I'm using my phone. :P


End file.
